Charlie sucked in his breath and held it. He buried his face in Blaine’s neck and began to rock his hips—slowly at first, fucking the tight fist and sweat-slickened erection. The bench seat was no longer too small, the position of their bodies no longer awkward.
“Are you thinking about her?” Charlie asked. “Are you thinking about Meredith watching us?”
“Ah, God, Charlie. Don’t—I can’t last. Fuck, I’ve wanted this so—” Blaine stopped, jerked, and splashes of his hot come spurted against Charlie’s belly and coated their dicks, making everything so slippery that Charlie couldn’t hold back. He wanted to feel that release, wanted his seed mixed with Blaine’s. He pressed his mouth to Blaine’s shoulder, and suddenly tasting wasn’t enough. He wanted to eat him. He bit, filling his mouth with the salty flavor of his friend’s flesh. The knot at the base of his balls grew, his thrusts became fast and then erratic, jerky and finally, the knot released, unfurled and shot out to mingle with Blaine’s.
* * *
Meredith was eating a salad at her desk when her cell rang the next day. She checked the display, and giddiness tingled through her. “Good afternoon, Charlie,” she said cheerfully.
“Good afternoon, Angel.”
After a heartbeat, she clued in and couldn’t contain her giggle. “Funny. Charlie’s Angels, right?”
“Yeah. Whew, for a second there I thought I was in trouble.”
“Close,” she joked, not really bothered if he had meant it as an endearment. “What’s up?”
“Blaine’s here, too. You’re on speaker.”
“Hi, Blaine. I didn’t expect to hear from you so soon. Did you come up with more conditions?”
“We did it,” Charlie said, the pride spilling from his voice.
It took her a moment to figure out what he meant. When she did she was stunned. She looked at her watch. That hadn’t taken long. About twelve hours. Charlie hadn’t been as reluctant as she’d thought. That was good. So why had her heart just done a belly flop? It was what she wanted. They could be together now without any awkwardness. Well, not much. No one would be freaking out about touches or kisses or whatever happened.
“Uh, are you still there?”
She snapped back to the man on the other end. “Yeah, I’m here. That was quick.”
“We aim to please.”
“You—um—liked it?”
Their voices formed a chorus. “Yeah.”
Stupid question. Of course they had. “Great.” That sounded lame, jealous even. She shoved her plastic salad bowl away from her and tried to work up some authentic enthusiasm. “That’s great.”
“Is something wrong?” Charlie asked.
“No. I’m fine. I just didn’t expect to hear from you today. I didn’t think—I mean, you got back to the ranch late—I’m just surprised,” she finished lamely.
“Meredith, honey—and don’t yell at me for calling you honey.”
She couldn’t help but smile.
“We still want you. Is that what’s worrying you?”
The knots in her stomach loosened. “Are you sure? It’s fine if you don’t.” She was such a liar. The truth was she would be crushed if they didn’t want her. And not just because she’d miss the sex.
Blaine spoke for the first time. “Last night, when we were together, you were there with us. Maybe not physically, but your spirit. This doesn’t work without you.”
She was too choked up to speak. For a second she wished he were Cassandra’s dad. She could tell him all about her, and he’d be the one person besides her who would truly understand her love for her daughter and the sacrifice she’d made. But if she told him and he did the DNA test and he was her dad, he might try to take Cassandra from her family. He might insist on his rights as her biological father. She couldn’t risk that. He’d probably be a great father, but it wouldn’t be fair to Cassandra to take her from the dads who loved her, the only dads—the only family—she’d ever known.
Blaine must’ve taken her silence for disbelief. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m not expressing myself clearly. But I don’t know how to explain.”
“No, that was beautiful. I just wish I was there. I want to hug you.” Not wanting Charlie to feel left out, she added, “Both of you.”
“Meredith, are you listening?” Charlie asked.
“Yes.” Of course, she was. She was listening for the hidden meaning, the words they couldn’t bring themselves to say.
“He’s right. This doesn’t work without you. I can feel your brain working overtime. Don’t get me wrong. I love your brain. But sometimes you gotta go with your heart. Your intuition. Don’t question it. Don’t think about it. Just accept it.”
He knew her so well. Better than her sister. Better than anyone except maybe Blaine. It still astounded her that Blaine had seen beyond the ditz all those years ago.
“Okay,” she said softly. “I’ll see you in a couple of weeks.”
* * *
Meredith and two WoSTEM campers sat around a table at a midscale chain restaurant across the street from TIMT. The girls were enthusiastically discussing the physics lab Meredith had led that morning. Variations of the discussion were going on in small groups around the restaurant—two girls matched with a grad student, an industry professional or a college professor. All of the mentors were women. And the groups were small to encourage even the shiest girls to participate in the conversation. Every day, the girls rotated time among different mentors to increase their exposure to careers in science, technology, engineering and math. In her opinion, this networking was the most valuable part of camp.
Meredith was grateful for the discussion and the girls’ questions. It kept her mind off tomorrow. She’d talked to Charlie and Blaine every day over the last two weeks. Sometimes just a short phone call late at night to check in. But more often a nice long chat.
“I already knew some programming when I started the class,” one of the campers, Taylor, said. “My dad started teaching me when I was in fifth grade. We started with some easy stuff, Visual Basic. Then in sixth grade we moved on to Fortran. Then C. I wanted to design a website and taught myself HTML because Dad didn’t know it. So I thought a programming class would be fun. I was the only girl in the class, but I didn’t mind. We joked around, and I helped some of the boys.” She swallowed, and her eyes became suspiciously bright. “I thought they were my friends.” The whispered words were full of pain.
Cat was quiet, but the hurt in her eyes attested to the shared experience. The boys had turned against them. During her first WoSTEM camp, Meredith had given up hope that this generation of girls wasn’t facing the same prejudices she’d dealt with. It was difficult enough being a science geek without the added humiliation of sexist taunts, the subtle and not-so-subtle suggestions that she enroll in home ec and return to the kitchen. It blew her mind that they hadn’t progressed beyond sexism.
“I know it’s difficult,” Meredith said. “And I know it’s a lot to ask. But don’t let them win. The more women who go into programming, engineering and science—the more we increase our numbers—the less we’ll have to deal with this kind of discrimination. Our daughters will have it better than we did.” She desperately wanted that for her own daughter.
“Warriors,” Cat said, her voice quiet but strong. “My mom says we’re warriors.”
“She’s right,” Meredith said.
The girls’ shoulders straightened.
“Do you have a boyfriend, Dr. Burke?” Taylor asked, her expression hopeful.
She knew why they were asking. She doubted these girls had ever had a date. Not that they weren’t pretty enough or interesting enough. They were. “Yes, I do.”
The girls leaned forward, eager to hear the details of a life they’d only dreamed of. She wanted to warn them, tell them not to sleep with a guy un
til they were ready to deal with a baby. But the politics of sex kept her quiet. If word spread that she was dispensing advice of a sexual nature to teenagers, even tenure wouldn’t protect her from being tarred and feathered and run out of town. She was tempted to explain that love was for fools and not to let their emotions override good sense. But a warm, fluffy blanket pillowing her heart stopped her.
“Is he a scientist?” Cat asked.
“No,” Meredith said then shook her head. “Wait, I take that back. He’s a scientist of a sort. He’s a hunting guide. He observes animals and predicts what they’ll do based on his observations. But he doesn’t have a formal degree.”
“Oh.” Taylor sounded disappointed. “Then what do you talk about? What do you do together?”
Meredith couldn’t tell them about the phenomenal sex, and it probably wasn’t a good idea to talk about shooting. Editing herself, language and subject matter, was the hardest part of hanging out with these kids. “We play pool, watch movies, eat.” She chuckled. “We both love to eat, and he’s a good cook.”
“He cooks?” Cat said. “Really?”
“Yes, really,” Meredith said.
“So you talk about movies and stuff?” Taylor pressed.
“Movies, political and religious ideologies, sports.”
“Are you smarter than him?” Cat asked.
“That depends on what you mean by smart. Do I know more about astrophysics than th—” She’d almost said “they.” She was already thinking of them as a threesome. “Than he does? Yes. I’m also a better pool player, but then, pool is just physics and hand-eye coordination. However, he knows more about wildlife and botany. And people. He’s much better at reading people than I am.”
Cat started to say something then bit her lips.
“It’s okay,” Meredith said. “Ask me anything. I might not be able to answer, but I won’t be angry.”
“I know it’s rude to ask, but do you make more money than he does?” She hurried on. “My mom says my dad left us because she made more money than he did.”
In the three years since she’d started the camp, this was the first time anyone had asked that question. Of course, it was the first time she’d been able to tell the girls she had a boyfriend. “I honestly don’t know,” Meredith replied. “It’s not something we’ve discussed. But I don’t think it would bother him if I did. He’s confident, self-assured. He loves his work as much as I love mine.”
“He sounds wonderful,” Taylor said, her eyes dreamy.
She’d never had a man try to push past her fears and insecurities, never had a man care enough to put out the effort. Yes, Charlie was wonderful, and she was beginning to think Blaine was, too.
Chapter Twenty
Meredith’s heart fluttered with nervousness and excitement as her car crunched along the gravel drive. There were a few other cars and trucks parked in front of the lodge. She recognized Charlie’s and Blaine’s, but the others were unfamiliar. Most of the cabins she’d passed had cars parked next to them. She’d also spotted a few tents and RVs. They wouldn’t have the place to themselves. No more sex in the kitchen or by the lake. They’d have to keep it in the bedroom. Might be boring.
Yeah, right.
Blaine and Charlie were down the porch steps before she shifted into park. No time to put on her game face. No time to reconsider and turn around.
She was barely out of the car before Charlie grabbed her ass, lifted her off the ground and pressed her against the car before giving her a long kiss. She forgot about confining their play to the bedroom and responded, wrapping her legs around his waist and opening her mouth to reacquaint herself with his taste. God, she’d missed him. Her hands slipped beneath his T-shirt, skimming along his smooth skin and kneading his muscles.
He murmured against her lips, “I’m so fucking glad you’re here.”
Blaine’s voice divided her attention. “Me, too.”
He stood about a meter away, not crowding them, almost unsure of his welcome.
Charlie slowly lowered her until her feet touched ground again. When she was steady, he stepped back, and Blaine stepped forward as if they were dancing. Blaine took her hand and leaned in. She held her breath, waiting. Her heart pounded. His lips tentatively brushed hers, so different from Charlie’s kiss.
He lifted his head and smiled shyly. “I missed you, too.”
She remembered to inhale. Their absolute joy was infectious. No leers, no sexual innuendoes. They didn’t even seem to have sex on the brain. Unlike her. It was all she’d thought about since she’d woken up this morning. Her nervous smile began to feel real, but she didn’t know what to say other than “Hi.” It sounded lame, but apparently it was just what they wanted to hear because their smiles grew even bigger, which she wouldn’t have thought possible.
Blaine released her hand. “I’ll get your bag. My sister’s inside. She’s our event coordinator during the summer. Barbecues, hay rides, hoe downs and fishing tournaments.”
“You have horses?” she asked in surprise. She hadn’t seen any and they hadn’t mentioned them.
“No.” Blaine hefted her bag from the trunk. “Horses are a pain in the ass.”
“How can you have a hay ride without horses?”
“Another outfit brings ’em in.”
Charlie picked up the hand Blaine had released and led her toward the lodge. “We’re taking a group to the shooting range this afternoon. You wanna come with us?”
“I’ll tag along, but no shooting.” She shouldn’t be handling a gun when she couldn’t focus on it.
He opened the front door and stepped back to let her through. “You sure? I’ve got a .22 you can use.”
Blaine followed her inside, and Charlie pulled up the rear.
“Yes. I’m sure.”
“Okay, but if you—”
“Hi.” A feminine voice interrupted him. “You’re Meredith.”
A tall, slender woman stood in the doorway of Blaine’s office. She was the female version of Blaine, sandy brown hair, blue-green eyes, the same smile and oval face. Were they twins?
“Meredith, this is my sister, Lindsey.”
Lindsey crossed the room and shook Meredith’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you. How did camp go?”
They’d told her about camp? Not that it was a secret, but that meant they’d been talking about her. It made Meredith uneasy, especially since she hadn’t even known Blaine had a sister. She was at a disadvantage. Had they told Lindsey why Meredith was here? Had they explained the sexual arrangement? Surely not. Blaine was running for sheriff. He wouldn’t want rumors of a ménage spreading.
“Very well,” she answered, tempted to slip into her exaggerated southern drawl. She took a deep breath of resistance. “The girls were awesome.”
“Well, you’ll want to settle in, and I’ve got to track down my sons. We’ll talk later.”
The ranch had a different ambience than when Meredith had visited in May. It was busier, noisier. She met Grant, the cook, and his wife, Grace, who cleaned cabins after the guests checked out. On the drive to the shooting range, Charlie stopped on the side of the road next to two boys, identical twins, who were studying something in the wildflowers next to the road. They were Lindsey’s ten-year-old sons.
After Charlie and Blaine supervised two families at the shooting range, they headed back to the lodge. It was busier than when they’d left because four groups waited for dinner to be served in the dining room. Grant, Grace, Lindsey, Charlie, Blaine and Meredith ate dinner after the lodgers were fed. Meredith was past over-stimulated. This must be what her brother suffered when he was dropped in the middle of a huge party. Too many people, too much noise. So different from her last visit and so unexpected. To cope, she had a glass of tequila with dinner. As soon as they finished eating, Lindsey left f
or her cabin.
Meredith checked her watch. 9:14. Soon, she thought. The tequila had chased away her nerves, leaving excitement and pure, sexual desire. How much longer would they make her wait? Blaine hadn’t touched her since the kiss when she’d arrived. He couldn’t, not with so many people around. But her temptation to touch him was strong. She resisted—just barely—and directed that need to Charlie. She was practically in his lap by the time dinner was done.
“Let’s go to my office,” Blaine said. “Talk about some things.”
She didn’t hold back her sigh of disappointment. There’d already been too much talk.
Charlie smiled and squeezed her hand. “Don’t worry. It shouldn’t take long.”
“Promise?” she asked.
“Yeah.”
Humming “A Little Less Talk and A Lot More Action,” Meredith carried her second glass of tequila to the office. Blaine shut the door, and she settled in a high-backed wood chair in front of the desk. Blaine took the chair next to her, and Charlie perched one hip on the desk.
Charlie spoke first. “Are you ready for this?”
“Past ready,” she said emphatically though her tongue was thick and uncoordinated. “You two are driving me crazy.”
“You remember your safe word?”
“Red. Red, red, red, red,” she repeated, the words slurred together.
“Mine’s still red.” Charlie slipped the glass of tequila from her hand. “What about you, Blaine?”
“Why the fuck do we need a safe word? I’m not into pain,” Blaine said.
Meredith sat up from her sotted slump. “That’s just what I said.” She pinned Charlie with her bleary gaze. “See? I told you.”
“And yet, you’ve used yours, haven’t you?”
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